Arizona police save Christmas for single mom

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PHOENIX - Christmas seemed hopeless for a single mom in Arizona after burglars broke into her apartment and stole practically everything, including the Christmas gifts for her special needs son. But that changed thanks to her local good-Samaritan police department.

“This door was ajar. It was like that. And I knew that I had locked it,” said Austin Hume.

Austin came home from her job at McDonald's to find her worst nightmare.

“When I looked inside, it didn’t even look like my house."

On Dec. 4, the apartment where she and her 2-year-old son Maddox were renting was ransacked.

Everything was gone, including her son's Christmas presents and her laptop, with her final term papers for school.

“I wanted him to have presents under his tree and I worked so hard to make sure he had presents under his tree,” said Austin.

"Our guys out here -- they work hard and they have a tough and dangerous job. But when they see someone in need, it's rare that they won’t step outside the box and come to their aid,” said James Holmes with the Phoenix Police Department.

When all seemed hopeless, detectives tracked down her laptop at a pawn shop, and convinced the store to give it up in time for finals.

Then, officers who did not want to be identified, stopped by her apartment with Christmas gifts.

“My son’s eyes just lit up when they saw the officer. He said, ‘Superman!’”

Those anonymous good Samaritan officers brought happiness and hope to this mom, and her little boy.

“They don’t do it for their 15 minutes, they don’t do it for the publicity; they do it because it makes their heart feel good,” said Holmes.

As Austin puts it, “They gave me back my son's Christmas."

Police have not made any arrests in the case, but say they are following several strong leads.